Women vets need R&R on campus too

Women go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they return with wounds. Their wounds can be physical, mental or emotional. Sometimes they can be all three.

The University of Akron has nearly 500 female and male veterans on campus, and a new space has been created to provide a bit of R & R for them. Called the Student-Veterans Rest and Relaxation Lounge, it is located on the lower level of the Student Union in the former Tel-Buch office.

The space is described as a gathering place for military veteran students, faculty and staff, and it offers comfortable seating, coffee, tables, desks, computers with Internet access and a television.

A grand opening for the new space, which requires Zip card swipe access, will be held Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. To get there, take the Student Union elevator to the lower level and turn left.

To obtain access, student veterans are asked to contact Janet Corey, veterans services coordinator.They should provide their name, ID number and a brief description of military service (service branch, dates of service, specialty/rating and final paygrade/rank).  For more information, call Corey at ext. 2754.

For more details about university services for veterans, visit the UA Military Services Center.

To find out more about women in the military, read articles in the New York Times series “Women at Arms,” which explores how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have profoundly redefined the role of women in the military.